by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
Translation © by Aliana de la Guardia

Молитва
Language: Russian (Русский)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
[О мой творец!]1 О, Боже мой!
Взгляни на грешную меня;
Я мучусь, я больна душой,
Изрыта скорбью грудь моя.
О, мой Творец, велик мой грех,
Я на земле преступней всех.

Кипела в нём младая кровь, 
Была чиста его любовь, 
Но он её в груди своей
Таил так свято от людей.
Я знала всё...  О Боже мой!
Прости мне, грешной и больной.

Его я муки поняла;
Улыбкой, взором лишь одним
Я б исцелить его могла,
Но я не сжалилась над ним.
[ О мой творец, велик мой грех,
Я на земле преступней всех.]1

Томился долго, долго он,
Печалью тяжкой удручён;
И умер, бедный, наконец,
О Боже мой, о мой Творец!
[Ты тронься грешинцы мольбой,]2
Взгляни, как я больна душой.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   S. Rachmaninov 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Rachmaninov.
2 Rachmaninov: "Тронься грешною мольбой" ("Tron'sja greshnoju mol'boj...")

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Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Aliana de la Guardia) , "Prayer", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 121

Prayer
Language: English  after the Russian (Русский) 
[Oh my creator!]1 Oh, my God!
Look at sinful me;
I suffer, I am ill in my soul,
sorrow tortures my breast.
Oh, my Creator, great is my sin,
I am the worst criminal on earth.

Young blood boiled in him,
pure was his love,
but he kept it in himself
so holy, from people.
I knew it all... Oh, my God!
Forgive me, sinful and ill.

I understood his sufferings;
With only the sign of a smile
I could have cured him,
But I didn't pity him.
[O my creator, great is my sin,
I am the most sinful person in the world!]1

He suffered long, long,
With sadness and heavily depressed
And died, miserable at last,
Oh, my God, Oh, my Creator!
Be touched by my sinful prayer...
Look how I am ill in my soul.

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1 omitted by Rachmaninov.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to English copyright © 2003 by Aliana de la Guardia, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 140